Magnolia Blossoms
by Frosty Vermilion Petals
Summary: She rolled her eyes. He most definately didn't pay her enough for this.
1. In the Event of a Job Loss

_Author's Note at End!_

Disclaimer: Not mine. Save for anything you don't recognize.

**Magnolia Blossoms**

"Ahem!" The couple jumped, and tumbled off of the couch, their lips still fused together. Amaya Shina disentangled herself from her boyfriend, looking down, a little too terrified to look her seething employer in the eye.

"Out. You're fired," Seto Kaiba gritted. Amaya's mouth fell open as she wiped away the remnants of her smudged lipstick.

"What? Why?" she asked, her brown eyes blazing. She quailed under the man's icy glare. Her boyfriend scrambled to his feet as Seto took a threatening step towards her.

"I have received a call stating that Mokuba has injured himself. Currently, he is in his room, being taken care of by the maid. The maid has also informed me that you have no knowledge of the incident, leading me to the conclusion that you weren't paying attention. And from the scene I just walked in on, I find that conclusion to be quite accurate. Ms. Shina, you were hired to watch over my brother, but apparently you are too incompetent for that simple task. Now, I suggest you leave, before I bring in security," the young CEO snapped, brushing by her on his way to the stairs.

Amaya picked up her purse and stalked out of the room, heading for the exit. Her boyfriend followed, looking like a lost puppy.

Seto quickly headed to his brother's room, where he found Rosie, the maid, bandaging Mokuba's hand and part of his wrist. "You okay?" he asked, perching on the edge of the black-haired boy's bed.

Mokuba smiled up at the older man. "I'm fine, thanks to Rosie. No thanks to Amaya, though," he said, frowning.

"I fired her," Seto said, rubbing his temples. He could feel a headache coming on. Now he would have to find another caretaker for Mokuba, something that took forever.

"Hey Seto?

"Yes, Mokuba?"

"Can I choose the next caretaker? Please?" The brown haired man sighed. Mokuba widened his grey eyes, his lower lip trembling. Seto's resistance dissolved.

"I suppose." Rosie hid a smile as she left the room. The older Kaiba truly had a soft spot for his younger brother.

Mokuba brightened significantly. "Really? Awesome! Will you come to the park with me now?" he said, switching tactics quickly while Seto was in what seemed to be a generous mood.

"Mokuba, I have to work!" The lower lip quivered. A sigh. "Just for a little while."

"Yeah!" Mokuba cried out with a happy smile, hopping off of his bed and running out the door.

* * *

Callie grinned as her cousin climbed over her. "Aidan, I'm not your personal monkey bars, you know," she snapped teasingly. She felt the twelve year old hang off her left arm, and thanked every deity she'd ever heard of that the boy was so light.

"Yeah you are!" Callie stuck her tongue out at the blonde boy. He made a face at her, his hazel eyes laughing. An earsplitting cry rose from the sandbox, redirecting the older girl's attention. With a sigh, she slipped out of her cousin's grasp, jogging towards the scene.

"What's wrong, Sheri?" she asked, squatting down by the girl. Sheri looked up at her cousin, her hazel eyes watery.

"Sheridan got sand in her eye!" the seven year old exclaimed. Callie sighed, looking down at the small girl. It was no wonder she'd gotten sand in her eye. She was sitting with splayed legs, her bright blue shorts vibrant against the dull gold sand. She'd obviously been flinging sand around from the hole in front of her.

"It'll be okay, Sheri. Just keep blinking, and the sand will wash out. Come on, you can play with Aidan and I," Callie said, tugging on one of Sheri's small hands. She deposited the brown-haired girl by her brother, leaving them to their devices, but keeping a close watch on them. She closed her eyes for a minute, letting the golden sun warm her skin.

When she opened her eyes again, she sighed to herself. It was truly a beautiful day, with golden sunshine, a soft breeze, and lush green plants all around. She could almost taste the joy in the air.

"Callie!" She looked up, and noticed the black blur heading towards her at a breakneck pace. Mokuba skidded to a stop right in front of her, prompting a small laugh from the older girl.

"Hey Mokuba, what's up?" she asked, ruffling his long hair. She grinned as he batted her hand away with a miffed look.

"Nothing really." She frowned.

"Yeah? Then why is your hand all bandaged?"

"Huh? Oh, I cut myself on some broken glass when Ryo was somewhere else." Mokuba could almost feel Callie's anger surge, and realized he'd said the wrong thing.

"_What?_ Of all the stupid, irresponsible, incompetent, morons of the world…!"she hissed,

"I agree." Callie blinked. She hadn't even noticed that someone else had joined them. She took a moment to study the man. He was tall, a good 7 inches taller than her, and his body was lean. His chiseled features were handsome, and his eyes were a striking sapphire, even if they were half-hidden under his chestnut bangs.

"Oh, this is my brother, Seto!" Mokuba said, beaming, and bringing Callie's attention back to him. Callie gave the young boy a smile, and held out a hand.

"Calandra Haveles. It's a pleasure to meet you," she said with a small smile. Seto studied her, and then grasped her much smaller hand.

"Seto Kaiba. The pleasure is all mine," he said, smirking somewhat. Callie raised an eyebrow at his tone. 'Flirt. He's a flirt.' she thought. She looked down as she released his hand, and felt another tug on her other hand. She smiled, and scooped up Sheri.

"What's new, Sheri?" she asked, holding the small girl on her hip. Mokuba grinned at the younger girl, who he thought of as a younger sister. Sheri smiled back at him.

"Sheridan wants to play with Mokuba," she said seriously. Mokuba smiled, and Callie let the girl down.

"Go on, then. If that's all right with you, that is," she said, looking up at Seto. The older Kaiba shrugged, impassive. Callie nodded to the curious Sheri, who squealed and took off.

"Be careful!" she shouted after the two. She watched them run off, and then turned back to Seto.

"Sister of yours?" he asked. Callie laughed.

"That little fireball? No way. I've only got one brother. Sheri's my cousin," she said. He raised an eyebrow.

"Does she always refer to herself in third person?" Callie nodded.

"Yeah. We're not really sure why. We're working on figuring it out," she said, looking up at the sky. Seto nodded, and then turned away, walking in the direction the children had taken. Knowing that she would be called if anything went wrong, she relaxed on a bench, taking in the sunlight.

* * *

Seto watched Mokuba play with the younger girl. Another boy had joined them, obviously related to Sheridan, since he had the same color hair. He pulled out his laptop, and began to type.

Sometime later, he stood and stretched, and walked over to the children. "Mokuba, it's time to go," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument. Mokuba sighed, and took his older brother's hand. The boy waved goodbye to Callie, who smiled and waved back at him, her platinum hair shining in the dimming light. She went and joined her cousins.

Seto tugged on Mokuba's hand gently, leading the boy to the limo. They climbed in, and Seto pulled out his laptop again, intent on finishing his file.

"Hey Seto?"

"Yes, Mokuba?" The young boy looked up, and noticed his brother was still immersed in his typing. With a shrug, he continued.

"I want Callie to be my caretaker."

A/N: And that's where I leave you. I realize that Seto might be somewhat OOC, but hey, I'm trying. Also, he's 23, and Callie is 22, if anyone is wondering. First fic, (fanfiction wise, at least), so please to review…it makes me happy!


	2. Phone Calls

**Magnolia Blossoms: Two**

Callie moaned as the phone rang next to her ear, pulling her out of sleep's sweet embrace. She buried her head under her pillow, and then shot up when the phone rang again. "Dammit, who the hell is calling?" she muttered, grabbing the phone.

"Hello?" she asked, covering her mouth with a hand as she yawned.

"Yes, this is Ryo Ameratsu, Seto Kaiba's secretary. He asked me to call you on his behalf. He wishes for you to call him at a later time today, preferably around 10:00 or so." Callie blinked.

"Excuse me, but do you mean Mokuba Kaiba?" she asked.

"No, Miss, Seto Kaiba. He wishes to speak with you." Callie sighed.

"Very well. If you could just give me the number, that would be great. You said around ten, correct?" she asked, getting up and heading into her study. She shuffled through the masses of papers flooding her desk until she found an address book. The secretary reeled off the number, and Callie scribbled it down, her eyes glazed over as she committed it to memory as well.

"Thank you, Miss Haveles," the secretary said quietly, hanging up. Callie sat there for a minute, the dial tone buzzing in her ear.

"That…was weird. I wonder what he wants," she murmured to herself, stretching. She glanced at the clock. 9:18. With a small smile, she flicked on her radio, walked into her bathroom, and turned on the water in the shower. She picked up the phone again, slipping out of her pajama pants as she dialed.

"Hey Mar, what's up?" she asked, recognizing her aunt's voice. "Do me a favor? Tell the kidlets that I'm wicked sorry, but I have to drop the date we have today. Tell them I'll take them somewhere soon. I promise, really. Mhmm. Okay, I love you too. Ciao, Mar," she said, pulling off her shirt. She tossed her pajamas into dirty laundry bin and closed the door to her bathroom, getting ready to wake herself up with the shower.

Ten minutes later, she emerged, dripping wet, wringing her hair out and forming puddles on her tiled bathroom floor. She thought she'd heard something, but she shrugged it off, knowing that her doors had all been locked. Then the phone rang again. She pushed the bathroom door open, and glared at the ringing device, refusing to leave the steamy sanctuary of her bathroom. She sighed, and decided to let the answering machine take it. She heard the distant beep as the machine clicked on as she wrapped her robe around her, and began digging through her drawers. She pulled out a pair of jeans and a tank top, and then headed to her closet. She grabbed a men's shirt, underwear and a bra as well.

She threw on all her clothes, discarding her robe on a chair. She grabbed her hairdryer, and plugged it in, playing with the outlet a little bit. It was a bad habit of hers. She took around fifteen minutes to dry her hair, to her dismay. She flipped her head up, stumbling a bit as all the blood rushed from her head. She threw on mascara and eyeliner, and then walked back out into her bedroom, picking up her robe and hanging it up. She glanced at the clock. 9:57. She stretched, sighing, and then grabbed the phone, reclining on her bed.

She pulled the number from memory, and then checked it on the paper, and swore as she realized she'd missed one digit. She dialed with a shrug, and picked up a book, finding her place in the story. "Hello?" a male voice asked. Callie smiled to herself. He sounded cold over the phone, as well.

"Hello, Mr. Kaiba? This is Callie Haveles. I received a phone call from your secretary that you wished to speak with me," she said, flopping on her stomach, trying to unbutton one of her buttons with one hand. She heard him sigh, and frowned.

"Yes, Ms. Haveles. You know my younger brother relatively well, correct?" he asked. She raised an eyebrow, even though he couldn't see it.

"That would be correct."

"Well, I've made a promise to him, that he could hire the next caretaker. He chose you, so I'm obligated to offer you the job." Seto said. Callie snorted.

"You sound really excited about it, Mr. Kaiba," she said.

"Stop by tomorrow morning at 8:00. I'll talk with you then," he said, hanging up. Callie glared at the phone, as if it were the item's fault.

"Goodbye to you, too, you jerk. You'll be lucky if I take this job," she hissed, banging the phone down. Even as she said it, she knew she would take it. She didn't have a job at the moment, and while money was truly no issue for her, it would give her something to do. And she would hate to let Mokuba down. She could only imagine how lonely that boy must feel sometimes. After all, Amaya paid no attention to him, and his brother was rarely home. Not to mention that he had asked for her! She would take it. But Seto Kaiba had another thing coming if he thought that it meant that she would tolerate being pushed around.

* * *

Callie puttered around, making breakfast fast. Of all the nerve of him, not asking if she might have had an appointment or something. Luckily enough, she didn't, even though it was a Friday morning. She placed her plate of waffles on the table, and then eyed them. She didn't want them. With a curse and a sigh, she trudged upstairs to her room, and pulled on a random outfit. She checked herself in the mirror, decided that she really didn't care, and ran down the hallway in her slippers, sliding to a stop right in front of the stairs. She slid down her banister, landing with a squeal and a soft thump. She kicked off the slippers, put on some slide-on heels, and took off out the door.

* * *

Seto Kaiba was concentrating when his secretary decided that he just wasn't stressed out enough. "Mr. Kaiba?" she asked softly. He heaved a dismayed sigh.

"Yes?" he growled.

"Ms. Haveles has arrived," Ryo said quietly, her eyes hard. She never quite got over this man. He thought he was so much better than her, and it irritated her to no end! Seto sighed.

"Send her in, then," he muttered, turning back to the computer to finish his paragraph. He heard Callie come in, but he continued typing. After two or so minutes, a hand entered his field of vision and grabbed one of his wrists. He contained the urge to throw the person across the room, and looked up. Callie let go of his wrist, her eyes boring into him.

"It's rude to keep someone waiting, especially when you arranged the appointment, Mr. Kaiba," she scolded. He scowled, and motioned her into a seat. He took a minute to examine the woman who might be taking care of his brother. Her platinum hair was in a loose bun, strands falling all over the place. Her glasses were perched on top of her head, and her emerald eyes watched him closely. Her jeans were tight, and her shirt was a loose peasant shirt. He nearly died at the thought of what the visiting executives must have thought at the low cut neckline. She tilted her head.

"Can I help you?" she asked him, her eyes glinting.

"My brother wishes you to be his caretaker. I'm offering you the job, if you're qualified enough. Now, the pay is-"

"The pay is not important in the slightest. I've been taking care of children for a good portion of my life. In the last year and a half, Sheridan and Aidan have been my main charges. I know a good bit of first aid, and so on and so forth. If you accept my qualifications, I will take the job and start whenever." Seto blinked.

"Very well. I have actually called your family to see what they would say, and they said that you were a responsible caretaker. I'll expect you tomorrow at seven. Is there anything you want to say?"

Callie glanced at him, and a small smile came over her face. "Yeah. Try not to annoy your secretary much more. She might just off you." she said, and slid out the door before Seto could respond.

The CEO raised an eyebrow. "Very well, Haveles. If you want to play, let's play."

* * *

A/N: If you think/feel any characters are OOC, please tell me! **Review, please?**

Twilight Eyes 8120: Can I call you Twilight? I'm lazy. ; Really, really lazy. Hee hee. Thanks for updating your story so quickly-it motivated me!

Schizophrenic Kitten: Thanks!

Trily Basher: Thanks!


	3. To Try An Employer's Patience

**Magnolia Blossoms: Three**

Callie sighed to herself, sipping a cup of coffee, watching her aunt's best friend, Sam, drive away in her car. She turned, looking up at the Kaiba Mansion with a raised eyebrow. The place was a masterpiece, with some art that she recognized from the Gothic Age in Renaissance art adorning the exterior. She winced as she heard the squeal of brakes from nearby. If anything, she knew her own car, and those were her brakes. This would be the last time she ever, ever let Sam drive without her in the car.

With a sigh, the girl rang the doorbell, glancing down at her outfit as a bit of coffee sloshed over her hand. She sucked it off of her hand, waiting patiently as footsteps drew nearer. The door opened, and Seto Kaiba stared down at her, his eyebrow raised. She flushed slightly as she realized her mouth was sucking away coffee, but she brushed it off and straightened.

"I would have expected a maid," she said breezily. "Should I be honored?" He sneered down at her. She grinned up at him.

"Callie!" She smiled at the black head that appeared next to Seto.

"Mornin', Mokuba," she said, taking a small sip of her coffee. He smiled at her radiantly. Callie could barely contain her giggles. Standing next to his dour brother, the kid appeared to be a ray of sunshine while Seto was a thundercloud. It amused her to no end. She raised an eyebrow at the tall CEO, who was still blocking the doorway. "Do you want me to come in or not?"

"I've not quite decided yet," he said, a small smirk appearing on his face. Callie rolled her eyes.

"Well, if that's the case, then I'll be going," she muttered, turning around and starting to walk away. She heard Mokuba's cry of distress, and felt a hand wrap around her upper arm. She yelped as Seto all but dragged her into the house. She barely managed to kick off her shoes. He let her go, and stared down at her.

"I never said you could leave, Ms. Haveles," he snapped. She scowled at him.

"No, but you certainly suggested it, Mr. Kaiba," she replied. Mokuba cleared his throat, interrupting their little spat. Seto glared down at Callie one more time, and then sighed.

"There's a packet of emergency information and general information on the kitchen table. Kindly don't contact me unless there's an emergency. Ask Rosie if you need help for anything. Don't ask me. Understand?" She scowled at him, but he was out the door before she had a chance to retort, something she was dearly wishing to do. She sighed, and turned to Mokuba.

The younger boy shrugged apologetically at her. She smiled, and ruffled his hair. "Hey, kid, you wanna show me where the kitchen is?" she asked, and she laughed as he shot down the hallway, jogging to keep up. She skidded into the kitchen, her socks sending her into the countertop. "Meh," she muttered, making a face. She stuck her tongue out at the laughing Mokuba. She eyed the packet, noting that it was extraordinary thick.

"Erm…I think I'll read that later. Tonight, perhaps. What do you wanna do, Mokuba?" The boy grinned.

"Let's go outside!" Callie sighed. Where did the boy get the energy? It was 7:15 in the morning, for God's sake! But, she followed him outside, watching him bounce up and down as he ran through the halls. Finally, he reached the morning sunshine, and laughing, Callie followed him, hopping up and down, pulling off her socks so they didn't get wet in the morning dew. Mokuba doubled back and grabbed her hand, making her go faster. She squealed as she slipped on the grass and fell. Mokuba gasped. She laughed, and got to her knees. The black-haired child smiled at her.

"Come on, let's play volleyball!" he said, motioning to a nearby court. Callie shrugged, and rushed onto the sand field, closely followed by the boy.

* * *

Seto Kaiba sighed to himself as he entered his home. Normally, he'd still be working, but he'd decided to come home for lunch, to see Mokuba, and to check on how Callie was doing on her first day. He made his way towards the living room, where Mokuba usually was, and frowned as he found it empty.

"Mokuba?" he called. There was no reply. His frown deepened. A shout of laughter reached his ears. With a sigh, he followed it into his large backyard, and discovered Mokuba and Callie involved in a heated rally in volleyball. He watched Callie jump and spike the ball, her slender body stretching beyond its height. Mokuba shrieked with laughter as he barely managed to hit the ball back. Seto watched Callie's eyes widen as she realized it would hit out of her reach, but would still be in bounds.

She did the only thing she could under the circumstances. She dove for it. Seto smirked as he watched her dive for it, miss, plow through the sand, and then sit up, laughing. "Graceful," he commented. She looked up, surprised. She smiled.

"Never once said that I was," she shot back, brushing sand out of her hair. She shook her head, trying to get the rest of the sand out. Mokuba snickered as her ponytail swayed back and forth, shedding sand.

"Whatcha doing home, big brother?" he asked, running over to the taller man. Seto smiled down at him, resting a hand on his mane of hair.

"I came to see how you two were doing. Now I see I should tell the maids that laundry will have to be done tonight, for Ms. Haveles clothes, if not for yours." Callie stuck her tongue out at him. Seto raised an eyebrow. "What a mature person I've hired. Are you sure you're up for the responsibility?"

Callie's eyes flared. "Mr. Kaiba, in my former jobs with children, I've found that they respond better to people who know that there is a time when they can act immature. Children are meant to have fun, and adults need to learn that they can have fun too." she snapped. He smirked at her.

"Very well, Ms. Haveles. I must return to my work. Goodbye, Mokuba." he said, turning back towards the house. Callie sighed to herself, and grabbed the volleyball, bouncing it off of Mokuba's head as the CEO disappeared from view.

"Hey, kid, you up for another round?" With a large grin at Mokuba's cheer, she rushed onto the field again.

* * *

Rosie watched the two play the game from a window above them, smiling. Mokuba seemed happier with this caretaker, and Callie seemed competent, unlike Amaya. Callie also kept Mokuba active, since they'd been at the game for a good 2 hours since Seto had taken his leave. She smiled to herself, and continued cleaning, humming a small tune.

She jumped as the phone rang, and then went to pick it up. "Kaiba Residence…yes sir. Right away," she murmured, and placed the phone gently on the table. She ran through the mansion, pausing to grab a portable, and then headed outside.

"Ms. Haveles?" she asked. Callie paused, brushing a bit of sweaty hair off of her neck.

"It's Callie, actually. Ms. Haveles makes me feel weird," she muttered. "How can I help you?"

"The phone is for you," Rosie said with a smile, extending the portable she'd grabbed. Callie raised an eyebrow, and reached out slowly, grasping the phone as if it would bite her. Rosie giggled.

"Hello?"

"Ms. Haveles?" Callie sighed.

"It's Callie, please, Mr. Kaiba," she said.

"Very well. I need you to stay late tonight. I have a meeting that will last to around 12 at night or so. You may stay the night if it will make things easier for you." Callie's mouth dropped open.

"Mr. Kaiba, I think this is kind of unfair for you to spring this on me now, let alone demand that I stay until 12!"

He sighed. "You will be paid, Ms. Haveles-"

"Callie."

"As I was saying, you will be paid extra for staying, Callie." She stuck her tongue out at the phone.

"Money's not an issue, Mr. Kaiba. The matter of respect is. What if I have an appointment tonight?" she wondered aloud.

"Callie, when I hired you, I expected you to be ready for this sort of thing. You need to get used to it. It will happen a good amount of the time. Whether you have an appointment or not is not a concern of mine. You need to stay." he said, annoyance clear in his voice. Her eyes narrowed.

"Perhaps it should be your concern, Mr. Kaiba. Very well, I shall stay, but from now on, I expect a warning long before something like this occurs. Understand?" she snapped, slamming the phone down. Rosie and Mokuba stared at her.

"Did you just hang up on Seto?" Mokuba asked quietly.

"Yup." Callie said, unconcerned. She froze as the phone rang.

"Oh dear…" Rosie said, her eyes wide. Together, the three of them eyed the phone as if it was about to bite them. None of them wanted to pick up.

"Hey, Mokuba, you should pick it up. Kaiba's less likely to scream at you," Callie muttered. Mokuba nodded. He reached for the phone, and hit the talk button.

"Hello?"

"Mokuba?" Mokuba flinched at the black anger that was weaving through Seto's tone.

"Yeah, big brother?"

"Put Calandra on the phone this instant." Making an apologetic face, Mokuba handed the girl the phone. Hesitantly, she raised it to her ear.

"Hello?"

* * *

A/N: Hee hee. Had to end it there. Stick around for the next chapter for Seto's reaction! And I promise I'm getting to work on Lying Eyes…

**Arabella Silverbell: **Then you're in the right place. I shall gladly feed your obsession!

**Setalina Muro: **I will, have no fear! Thanks!

**Twilight: **Whee! Thank you so much for the fav! Yeah, I think we do like girls with spunk. I happen to be a bit of a feminist, so that appears in my writing occasionally. Hee hee. Update your stories soon, please? (even though you update almost everyday, and I never update…gah…)


	4. Button Problems

**Magnolia Blossoms: Four**

"Calandra, let me make things clear for you. You are never, under any circumstances, to hang up on me again. Do you understand? You will stay the night tonight. You and I need to talk before you leave. That's not a choice. Understand?" he asked. Callie raised an eyebrow at the anger that was weaving in and out of his tone. Someone had a control issue.

"Calandra Haveles, answer me!" She nearly snorted. He sounded like her mother, just with a deeper voice, and a bit more anger.

"Very well, Mr. Kaiba. I shall see you then," she snapped, letting him know through her tone that he would not cow her. She snarled as she heard the dial tone. The little brat had hung up on her. She smiled at Mokuba and Rosie, who were looking at her with worried eyes.

"Hey, there's no need to look like that. I'm still alive, right? Despite what you think, he can't quite manage to kill me over the phone, guys," she said, brushing off the fury she felt brewing within her veins. Mokuba giggled, and Rosie gave her a weak smile.

"Callie, I'm hungry!" Mokuba announced. Callie smiled down at him.

"Well, let's go get something to eat. We never did stop for lunch, did we?" she asked, ruffling his hair, giggling at the frown he sent her.

"Yeah, let's go!" Mokuba shouted, dashing into the house. Callie grinned, and began to jog after him. She paused when she felt a soft touch on her shoulder. She turned to face Rosie, her eyes questioning the redhead's touch.

"You aren't in trouble, then, Ms. Haveles?" Callie grinned.

"Well, I might be in for it later, but the hell with it. He can't be that bad, can he?" she paused when she saw the look on Rosie's pretty face. "Or maybe he might be. Don't worry about it, Rosie-that is your name, right? I'll be fine. And for the last time, woman, it's Callie. Ms. Haveles makes me feel old. Well, not really, but it's a good excuse, neh?"

Callie made a face as Rosie broke into laughter. "Well, then, Callie, I suggest we go in and get some food along with the young master. You'll need your strength when you go up against Master Kaiba," Rosie said, a smile wreathing her face. Callie grinned, and wrapped an arm around the smaller woman's shoulders.

"You know, I think I like you," she muttered, smiling. With a laugh, the two of them walked indoors; ready to face the horrors of making a lunch.

* * *

Hours later, Callie collapsed on the sofa, letting out a muffled 'oof' as Mokuba followed suit, and landed right on top of her.

"What do you want to do, kid?" she asked, shifting him over a bit so she could breathe. Mokuba paused to think.

"Can I stay up until Seto comes home?" he asked. Callie sighed. The poor kid.

"No, Mokuba. You can stay up until 10, okay? That's it, though. I'm sorry, kiddo," she said, waving goodbye to Rosie, who was leaving for a dinner with her boyfriend. She suspected the woman would be back, since she'd visited her room earlier, but from their talks, she knew that Rosie also shared a flat with her boyfriend.

"But Callllllie...I wanna stay up until Seto comes!" Mokuba whined. Callie snickered, and grabbed hold of him, giving him a gentle noogie.

"No can do, my friend. However, I'll tell you what. It's what...seven now? We'll watch a movie, okay? And then, if it ends early enough, we'll start another one. How's that sound? And don't worry about the dinner, Rosie ordered your favorite pizza."

Mokuba cheered, and Callie grinned, batting him with a cushion from the sofa. "Go choose a movie, kiddo. And I'm warning you, no romances!" she teased. He made a face at her, but hopped up and rushed over to the gigantic entertainment center. Callie made herself comfortable, nestling deeper into the soft, plush couch she was resting on. She marveled at how big it was: at least three people could lie next to each other and still fit on the damn thing.

She was jolted out of her thoughts as Mokuba landed on her stomach. "Guh!" she exclaimed, gasping for breath.

"The movie's in!" Mokuba announced, grinning happily. Callie grinned.

"Okay, Champ, sit down then, and not on me!" Mokuba grinned, and plopped down next to her, stretching out on the couch. Callie smiled, and watched the credits start rolling. She gasped as she saw the movie title.

"Mokuba! Thank you! I adore this movie so very much!" she squealed, giving the surprised preteen a hug. He snorted, and pried her arms off of him, and the two settled down to watch "Buckaroo Banzai: An Adventure Across the Eighth Dimension".

They were almost 20 minutes into the film where the doorbell rang. Callie hit pause as Mokuba hopped up and dashed to the door. Rolling her eyes, Callie grabbed the money and followed the child at a more sedate pace. She heard the child conversing with the pizza person, and sped up, hoping he wasn't tormenting the poor person on accident.

"-You sure you don't want to come in, Tristan?" she heard him ask as she entered the room. Was he inviting a random person into the house? She eyed the man in the doorway, teen, actually, who was trying to hide his face underneath his hat.

"Mokuba, if he doesn't want to come in, then he doesn't want to come in," she admonished quietly, sidling up behind the boy. He stuck his tongue out at her.

"Oh! Tristan, this is Callie. Callie, this is Tristan. He's a friend of mine," Mokuba said, beaming. She nodded at the teen.

"Nice to meet you. How much do we owe you?"

"Ten bucks, that's it," he said, grinning at her. She smiled back, and handed him the money and a tip.

"Tristan, you sure you don't want to come in?" Mokuba pleaded.

"I gotta go meet the gang. We think we're going to the arcade, or something," Tristan said.

"Why can't they all come here? It would be fun!" Mokuba shouted, smiling. Callie cleared her throat.

"Oh, come on, Callie, please?"

"Maybe another time, Mokuba. Your brother is already irritated enough with me, don't you think?" Mokuba sighed, and nodded. Bidding goodbye to Tristan, they shut the door and brought the pizza into the TV room, not bothering with plates. Callie turned on the movie again, and they sat down, savoring the cheesy flavor of the pizza.

* * *

Callie sighed with relief as she quietly closed Mokuba's door. The kid was a bundle of energy, even at night. She had no idea where he got that much enthusiasm, but it was nice. That is, until you had to get him to bed.

She waved to Rosie as the maid passed her, heading to her room for the night. Callie skipped down the stairs, heading to the kitchen, where she picked up the packet. She headed back into the TV room, flipping on the news with a low volume. She began reading, willing the hours to fly by quickly.

* * *

Seto Kaiba slipped into the house quietly, placing his briefcase on the floor as he shed his trench coat. He closed the door behind him, and continued into the TV room, since he could hear the soft buzzing of the TV. He smirked at the scene in front of him.

Callie was curled up on the sofa, the packet he'd had typed up for her near her head. A slender arm was thrown over the back of the sofa. Her hair was partially covering her face, and the flickering TV threw shadows over her body. He picked up the remote and shut the TV off, making his way to Callie's side. He shook her lightly, leaning over, but she didn't move. He sighed, and shook her again, this time a bit harder. She rolled over, her hand batting at him half-heartedly, and woke with a start as she tumbled off of the couch.

Callie rubbed her head, trying to clear the spots from her eyes. She could swear she heard snickering. Her eyes cleared for a moment, and she saw a smirking Seto Kaiba before her eyelids drifted down once more.

Seto groaned in frustration, resisting the urge to cradle his head in his hands. She had been awake! But now, she was sprawled on the floor, and he could see her shivering. He sighed. As much as he would like too, he couldn't just leave the girl there. It was pretty cold tonight. Grumbling to himself, he bent over and scooped her up, and began walking up the stairs.

He was halfway up the stairs when Callie stirred in his arms, her eyelashes fluttering. He froze. He didn't particularly want her to wake up at the moment. She would more than likely yell, going by the little he knew about her. She rolled a bit, and then settled again, her breathing slowing down once more. Seto sighed with relief. And then he noticed something.

When Callie had moved, her shirt had adjusted as well. The top two buttons had opened, and her shirt was falling open. _Oh, shit_, he thought. He could feel a blush heating his cheeks. He stayed frozen, but then shook it off, training his eyes on the walls of the hallway. He kept walking, finally reaching a satisfactory guest room. He nudged the door open with his foot, and walked inside, placing Callie on the bed.

He turned and began to walk out. A low moan sounded out behind him, and he froze. The sound sent a shiver rolling though his body, and he couldn't resist glancing behind him.

Callie had moved already, her body curled up tightly, her shirt gaping opening, one hand resting on her right hip. And as he watched her, her eyelashes fluttered, and her eyes opened.

_Oh, shit, _he thought for the second time that night.

* * *

A/N: Wow. That was an insanely fun chapter to write. By the way, I converted the money into dollars because I don't know how yen works...Oh, and for those of you who might be wondering, when I used 'cow' it was as in 'intimidate' not the animal.

**Setalina Muro: **You're welcome about the review! Thanks for reviewing my story! :grin: I like cliffhangers. Suspense is a good thing in a story, because it keeps the readers interested!

**Butterfly321: **why did I have to end there? Why, to be evil, of course! Thanks for the review!

**Arabella Silverbell: **Okay, that's good. But you'll have to beat ME to world domination...I've been planning it for a long, long time....

**L.D. Kaket: **Thanks! I'm glad it was a relaxing read. I know it was a cruel place to end it...I'm like that.

**Iwaswatchingyoulastnighta7oclock: **At my 7 or at yours? Time works differently for me. I love them too. They're gorgeous...

**Hero Girl of Brien: **Of course you end a chapter like that. Half the time I just do it for the reactions...hee hee. Thanks for the review!

**Twilight: **Oodles...that's such a fun word. I love it. Yeah, I'm surprised at myself. I've been updating pretty quickly for me. It's Callie. She's just such a fun character to write! I think she interacts so well with Mokuba because she's pretty childish herself! Yeah, I liked making Seto call her Calandra...And I'm trying to cut down on my errors...hee hee!


	5. The Truth Comes Out

**Magnolia Blossoms: Five**

Callie raised herself slowly, her mind still foggy from being asleep. Her tired eyes made out the blurred image of her employer, who seemed frozen in the doorway.

"Kaiba?" she said softly, rubbing her eyes. He was still there, and she could see something akin to horror on his face. She blinked, confused. She'd never really seen emotion on his face. What was he so nervous about? She shivered, feeling cold suddenly. She frowned, and looked down. She clapped a hand over her mouth, and pulled her shirt together, picking up a pillow and chucking it in the man's general direction.

"Dammit, Kaiba, what the hell?" she said angrily, her eyes half-open. He opened his mouth to try to explain, and then he noticed her eyelids were sliding shut again.

_That's it, _he thought. _Go back to sleep._ He let out a sigh of relief as the woman collapsed again, her body curling up without her realizing it. He took the pillow that she had thrown at him and replaced it on the bed, hoping to high heavens that the woman wouldn't recall any of this in the morning. With one last look at her relaxed body, he swept from the room, closing the door gently behind him.

* * *

Callie yawned to herself, pawing through the suitcase that Rosie had been kind enough to bring for her. The maid had been a lifesaver, agreeing to go to Callie's house and pick up clothes for her. Setting out an outfit, Callie decided to take a quick shower. After the shower, she brushed out her wet hair, not bothering to dry it.

She pulled on the red sundress and the wicker sandals, and heard a knock on the door. "Come in!" she called, kicking her suitcase shut and heading towards the door. The door swung open, revealing Rosie and Mokuba.

"Hey. Mokuba, aren't you up a little early?" she asked, glancing at the clock. Currently, it was 6:45, but Callie had always been an early riser. Mokuba, she could tell, was not. He looked half-asleep.

"He tries to get up early so he has time to say hello to Master Kaiba. Both the Masters wish for you to join them for breakfast, right, Mokuba?" Rosie asked, nudging the tired boy.

"Yeah, Callie!" Mokuba exclaimed, his vigor returning. She raised an eyebrow. What was this kid, some sort of nuclear power plant? "Come on, I'll show you where the dining room is!" he said, beaming, grasping her hand and dragging her out the door. With a laugh, she stumbled after him, struggling to keep up without losing her shoes.

They tumbled into the dining room, laughing hysterically. Seto set his mug of coffee down, and raised an eyebrow. "Enjoying yourself, Calandra?" She sobered quickly, and stood up.

"I was," she snapped, her emerald eyes meeting his cobalt eyes, full of challenge. Suddenly, the sight of her employer triggered a memory.

"You know, I had the strangest dream last night. You were in the room I was staying in. It was weird." Seto choked slightly, but tried to hide it. Callie, however, caught it. Her eyes widened, and then blazed.

"Oh my God! It's true! What the hell, Kaiba!" she yelled, not noticing Mokuba slipping out of the room. Seto did, however, and silently thanked his brother for that. He stood, and walked over to the smaller girl, towering above her.

The platinum blonde was not deterred. "And my shirt was open, and I know it wasn't open when I went to sleep! What the hell is wrong with you? I can't believe this!" she shouted, her eyes flaming. Seto opened his mouth to try to explain, but she cut him off.

"Don't you even dare! God, I can't believe this!" she hissed, her hands on her hips. Seto resisted the urge to roll his eyes as she continued to rant. Finally, he grew tired of it, and pulled her towards him.

Callie squeaked as she found herself with her back against Seto's chest, one of his hands covering her mouth. "Calandra Haveles, calm yourself and listen to me," he whispered into her ear, his voice dangerous.

"You were asleep on the couch, and I tried to wake you. You wouldn't wake up, and so I carried you upstairs. While I was carrying you, you moved around, and your shirt opened. Do you understand?" She bit his hand lightly, and he cursed and pulled it back, his other hand still wrapped around her waist, holding her in place.

She twisted in his arms, looking up at him with flaming eyes. "Why should I believe you?" she asked softly, the thread of anger trembling in her voice. He stayed silent, looking down at her. She searched his eyes, and felt herself relax.

"Very well, then. I'm sorry for my overreaction, and I thank you for your help last night," she said, her tone and face blank. Seto raised an eyebrow. This was a new side of Callie. She tried to slip out of his arms, and he let her, but he grabbed her wrist at the last moment.

"Now, Calandra, about your impudence yesterday…"

* * *

A/N: Sorry guys, a short chapter…I'm bad, I know! I'm sorry….I promise the next chapter will be extra long!

**Twilight: **I had the urge to make Seto be a little childish, so I did. And that's kinda like me, since I ALWAYS need to have the last word…hee hee. I'm sorry, I know I promised this chapter would be up yesterday…I'm a bad person!

**Setalina Muro: **Muahahaha.

**WhitejellO:** Thanks! When I say platinum, it's as in blonde, so she has silvery/blonde hair. She's 22.


	6. Cooking Diaster And Time Skip

**Magnolia Blossoms: Six**

She glared up at him, quite obviously settling into a mood. "Impudence, Mr. Kaiba?" she asked sweetly. "What impudence?"

"That may amuse your little mind, Ms. Haveles, but you're wasting my time. Now, allow me to make some things clear to you. I work odd hours. You will receive calls that have last minute plans, and you will stay to look after Mokuba, or you will leave my service. Do you understand me?" he asked quietly, his voice intense, his grip tightening a bit. The two had a small staring contest, icy blue meeting emerald. To her dismay, Callie lost.

"Yes, Mr. Kaiba," she said, looking down and pulling her wrist from his grasp. He let her slide off towards the door, watching her carefully. Finally, he looked away right before she shut the door, and therefore, he almost missed her sticking her tongue out at him. Almost.

With a sigh, he rubbed his temples, and decided to simply let it go.

Mokuba ran up to Callie almost instantly. She giggled at the worry on his face. "He wasn't going to eat me, you know," she said calmly, ruffling his hair. He stuck his tongue out at her.

"I know that. I wanted to know if he fired you!" She made a face at him.

"That eager to get rid of me, kid?" she asked, mock serious. He scowled, and she laughed again. Her stomach growled, and she realized that due to the argument, both she and Mokuba hadn't gotten breakfast. "Hey kid, you hungry?" she wondered. He nodded. Rosie appeared suddenly, making Callie jump.

"I'll prepare something for you two. What is it that you'd like?" she asked quietly. Callie raised an eyebrow. What was this woman, a housekeeping goddess in disguise? She felt a tug on her hand, and looked down at Mokuba. Granted, it wasn't that far of a stretch, since she was 5'8", and Mokuba apparently had the gene that had given his brother the towering height. The kid was already 5'4" at age twelve, and still growing. Scary.

"Can we make something instead?" he asked, his eyes shining with the prospect of a project.

"Ask Rosie, it's her domain," Callie said, turning to look at the pretty maid. Rosie shrugged her shoulders, and Mokuba grinned. Callie sighed. "What do you want to make, Mokuba?" she asked, heading towards the kitchen. She heard Mokuba start laughing, and Rosie called her name.

"Yeah?" she called back, still walking.

"Miss…Callie…the kitchen's the other way." Callie paused, making a face where the two couldn't see.

"I knew that. I was…testing you. I wanted to see if you would notice that I was going the wrong way," she said, turning in time to catch the pair rolling their eyes. "I WAS!" Mokuba shook his head, and started off into the other direction, towards the kitchen. Grumbling to herself, Callie followed him, Rosie walking silently by her side, but the blonde could still hear an occasional giggle. The two women pushed open the swinging doors of the kitchen, and Rosie headed over to the fridge, but Callie stopped in awe.

"Callie?" Rosie called, watching Mokuba out of the corner of her eye. The blonde stumbled a bit, looking up and around the kitchen.

"It's huge…and scary." Mokuba and Rosie snickered. Callie snapped out of it, her cheeks reddening. With a huff, she walked over to the two, ready to start their project.

An hour later, a pouting Callie was confined to a corner in a chair. Occasionally, Mokuba or Rosie looked over, making sure that the sulking girl hadn't left the corner they'd assigned her to sit in. Callie, for her part, was highly offended. Obviously, these two had never really heard of a second chance. Just because they'd needed the fire extinguisher the first time didn't mean that she couldn't cook. After all, she made a mean macaroni and cheese, and she'd told them so. Nonetheless, she was still confined to her corner, and that was where she stayed.

Seto strode into the house, wide-awake despite the late hour. He set his briefcase on the floor in the kitchen, and hearing the TV, heading towards the large den area. He found the large plasma screen set to VH1, which seemed to be covering modeling. He frowned at Callie, who was, as usual, asleep on the couch. He'd grown tired of this routine. This was the third time in the last week that she'd been asleep when he'd returned. And to his dismay, he'd discovered that she virtually slept like a log.

He picked up the remote, flicked off the TV, and just looked at her. She was much more likable with her mouth closed, he decided. He could barely believe it had been over three weeks since he hired her. It seemed like three agonizing years of torture. Callie was outright unbelievable. She laughed, actually _laughed_ when he walked in home early one day last week, coated in coffee and various other elements. When she heard the full story (he was still determined to discover who had leaked the information in the first place), she had laughed even harder, and told him 'I believe I warned you that your secretary would snap!'.

But now, as he looked at her asleep on the couch, her glasses digging a ridge into her nose, he figured she could be tolerable. As long as she was asleep. With a sigh, he hoisted her over his shoulder, making a mental note to assign her to a room for late nights.

_Author's Note: Yes, this chapter has been changed. The first half is the same. The only thing different is this last part, which I decided I didn't like. Also, please forgive the lack of break lines, since that doesn't seem to be working on my computer._


	7. Redecorating Frenzy

**Magnolia Blossoms: Seven **

**Warning: Last chapter was revised. I suggest you reread it for this chapter to make sense. See you soon!**

She woke up slowly, twisting in her bed, feeling the silky smooth touch of her satin sheets. She paused, and then shot upright. She didn't _have_ satin sheets. She took in the area around her, and sighed. She'd done it again. Great. Kaiba Senior was probably going to throw a hissy fit.

With a sigh, she threw the sheets off of her and got up. She glanced around the room for a minute, and winced as she caught sight of herself in the mirror. She was a mess, that was for sure. She ran her fingers through her messy hair, and then threw it up into a ponytail, muttering, "Screw it." She wandered over to the oak door, and threw it open. She peered out into the astoundingly large hallway, cursing Seto. She wasn't sure how the hell to get to the kitchen from here. Luckily enough, a dark-haired blur by the name of Mokuba chose that instant to barrel into her.

"Hey Callie! Come on, it's time for breakfast!" the boy said, taking her hand and pulling her along. With a roll of her eyes, she allowed him to drag her towards the kitchen, making mental notes of each and every turn, just in case she ended up in that room again. But, knowing Seto, he would probably put her in a different room every time, just to confuse her.

The two of them stumbled down the stairs (well, Callie stumbled, Mokuba ran.) and entered the dining room. Seto had already left for the office, but Callie winced as she noted the letter with her name on it. She watched Rosie put a plate full of food in front of Mokuba, and the maid tossed her an apple, which she (barely) caught. Biting into the crisp Fuji, she opened the letter, scanning the calligraphy.

_Calandra_

_Since you apparently have trouble staying up late enough to go home, and I do not have the time to rouse you, I've issued a room for you to say in when you need to work late. Rosie will show you to the room later. You will be required to return to your home and take some clothing to keep here. Now that you have a room here, I expect no complaints about my work hours._

_Seto Kaiba_

She snorted to herself, tossing the note down on the table. "I expect no complaints about my work hours," she mocked, waving her hands around for emphasis. Mokuba laughed, finished eating. Rosie appeared next to Callie, as silent as a ghost. Callie, naturally, jumped.

"Jesus! My heavens, you scared me!" she gasped. Rosie snickered.

"Would you like to see your room now?" Callie shrugged, and both Mokuba and Rosie headed up the stairs. She stretched and followed, watching them lead her into another large hallway. She walked into the room, and just stared. It was white. Just plain white, with a bed, a dresser, a mirror, and a connecting bathroom. She crossed her eyes, feeling blind.

"He's institutionalizing me!" she cried out to Mokuba and Rosie. Mokuba sneered elegantly at the childish response, while Rosie giggled. Callie stared at Mokuba in consternation- he looked exactly like his older brother when he did that. "Hey, Mokuba, do you think I could decorate this place?" The child brightened instantly.

"Yeah! We can make it a project! Let's go get some paint and stuff!" he said, grinning. Callie grinned back, but shooed him out of the room so she could get changed really quickly. She left her jeans on, but she threw on a shirt she'd found in one of the drawers. Considering the size, it was probably one of Seto's old shirts, but she really didn't care.

She met up with Mokuba downstairs, and the two of them ran out to her car, which happened to be a 2004 Boxster. Ignoring Mokuba's incredulous glance, she hopped into the driver's seat, and brought her baby to life. Mokuba slid into the front seat, eyeing Callie oddly.

"How'd you afford this on your salary?" he asked, knowing it was rude, but needing to satisfy his curiosity. Callie shrugged.

"I told both you and your brother, money's not an issue with me. I've got a good bit stored away. This was my splurge," she explained, her tone suggesting that he would receive no further explanation, and that no more questions on the topic should be asked.

Ten minutes later, Mokuba was looking through the light purple paint section. He'd seen Callie wear light purple a few times, and figured she'd like the color. He was pulled from his reverie as Callie tapped his shoulder lightly. "Ready, kid?" she asked. He frowned.

"Did you pick out the colors already?" She nodded, and he smiled. Together, they headed out to the car.

* * *

Much later that night, Seto strode through the door, depositing his briefcase on the floor. Rosie looked up in surprise. It was 8:00- early for the CEO to be home. "Where's Mokuba?" Seto asked calmly.

"In Callie's room with her," Rosie replied with a small bow. With a small sigh, Seto started up the stairs. He entered the room he'd given to Callie, and froze instantly.

"What…in God's name….have you done to this room?"

* * *

_Author's Note: Heh, I finally got this chapter up! Merry Christmas, everyone! This is my gift to you all! Please be kind and review!_

**Setalina Muro: **Huh? Couple or not a couple? I don't get it. Yeah, most people look sweeter with their mouth shut. Me especially. Callie too. Thanks!

**The Future Mrs. Kaiba: **Did I ever mention that I love your penname? Thanks so much for the compliment! I appreciate it.

**Hero Girl of Brien: **Um…yes, yes and yes? I can cook…kinda. Well, last chapter was revised…so you might want to read it to understand what happened.

**Twilight: **Here you go, an X-mas gift, just like I promised!

**WhiteJellO:** Sadly, I've never seen the Jetsons. Thanks for the review, and I'm sorry this update took so long!


	8. In Trouble Now, Aren't You?

**Magnolia Blossoms: Eight**

He looked around the room, barely able to contain his shock. The room, which had been plain white and sparsely decorated when he left, was now…he didn't even know what it was. All he knew was that it looked like something out of a bad horror movie. His vexing employee was currently sprawled on her bed with his brother, engaged in a war of cards. She hadn't even looked up. The room drew him away from losing his temper with her. He hadn't seen the worst of it yet.

The bed had caught his attention first, since it definitely was not the bed that had been there earlier. This bed was a middle-size blood red contraption, with hardwood posts carved in the Gothic Renaissance style, the gargoyles leering at Seto, their smirks laughing at his surprise. But the rest of the room was just…insane. Callie had had the nerve to paint the walls without his permission, and what had she done? She'd painted them red. Not just red, but a crimson red that reminded one of blood. And she'd bordered this paint with black. Add in the antique candelabras (where in God's name had she gotten those?) the carved hardwood desk and the black velvet curtains over the windows, and the room looked like something out of a haunted house.

"Calandra!" he snapped, noting that she was still engaged in her game with Mokuba. When she was slow to respond (Mokuba was on the verge of discarding all his cards; they were playing spit), he crossed the room in two strides and spun her around forcefully. She stared up at him with innocent eyes, blinking.

"Yes, Mr. Kaiba?"

"What have you done to this room?" he gritted.

"Well, I should think it was obvious that I redecorated," she muttered, squirming out of his hold. She shrank back as his eyes flared. She'd forgotten how intimidating this man could be.

"And did it ever occur to your feeble mind that perhaps you should have requested permission from me?" She felt heat rise into her cheeks at the word 'feeble'. She despised it when people thought she was stupid, something that had oft occurred in the past. It irked her to no end. But she kept her lips shut, knowing that Seto was most likely on the verge of firing her. That lasted for around a minute.

"I-" Before she could say anything that got her into more trouble, Mokuba intervened.

"I'm sorry, Seto, I said she could. I didn't know you'd get angry…" the boy trailed off, his grey eyes shining with unshed tears. Callie decided that the boy would make a fantastic actor. It had, after all, been her idea, and it had never even occurred to her that Kaiba Senior might get bitchy about it. Granted, Mokuba had been surprised at her color choice, but once he'd been in her house (they'd gone to get some of the furniture that was now in the room), he'd realized it wasn't out of the ordinary for the woman. Her whole house had been styled in the wake of the Gothic Art area, with many antiques. The younger Kaiba had wondered where the money had come from, and had been upfront about it. Callie laughed and mentioned a friend, and then dropped the topic. Knowing not to push, the young boy had simply moved on.

The elder Kaiba sighed at the look his younger brother was giving him. "Is this true?" he asked Callie. With a sigh, the girl nodded. She didn't really approve of lying, but there was no reason to get both Mokuba and herself into trouble. Seto sighed. "Fine. I'll have it repainted sometime." Callie gritted her teeth as he turned, his trench coat filling with air. As he headed out the door, he paused, looking at one of the antique candelabras by the door. Callie bit her lip as he brushed his fingertips over it. It was an old piece, and she didn't let anyone touch it. But, she didn't feel up to a fight with Seto, so she let him look at the piece. She watched his expression knit into a frown, and then he swept from the room. With a sigh, she turned back to her game with Mokuba.

* * *

Seto entered his room, turning on one of his laptops instantly. He accessed his database, and typed in Callie's name. He'd recognized the type instantly, and had known it to be a relatively rare and semi-expensive piece. What he wanted to know is how the girl had managed to purchase four of them. With a sigh, he pulled up the few files that came up, and began to look through them. To his dismay, he found nothing.

* * *

Once Callie was sure Seto was gone (it took around three minutes for her to decide he wasn't listening outside the door), she started snickering. Mokuba raised an eyebrow at her. "Thanks for the save, Mokuba. Though I have to say, Kaiba Senior's expression really made me wish I had a camera," she told him. He grinned at her.

"No problem, but guess what? You owe me." She groaned. Great. Just what she needed. He'd probably want to do something that would end up with her getting into trouble. She sighed. She wouldn't try to slink away, because he was right-she did owe him. Oh, how she hated the Kaiba brothers' sneaky ways.

"Fine, Mokuba, I owe you," she muttered, and then looked up as there was a soft knock on the door. "Come in, Rosie," she yelled out. The maid entered, looking at Callie oddly.

"How did you know it was me?"

"Who else would it be? Kaiba? He wouldn't knock. And if he did, I think it would be more aggressive than that." Rosie smiled at the look on the girl's face.

"Well, Master Kaiba has sent me to remind you that you may return home." Callie's face brightened.

"Booyah. I'm out of here. Mokuba, see you tomorrow. See you guys," Callie said, darting out of the room before either could say their goodbyes. Rosie shook her head, and watched Mokuba grin and then zoom off to who knows where.

"What an interesting house this will be…" the maid murmured, a small smile dancing on her lips.

* * *

_A/N_: Erm…nothing to say…I'm sorry it took so long, Twilight! Don't kill me!

**Setalina Muro: **Oh, yes, this is going to be a SetoxOC story. It's the other one that won't be. Thank you for the review!

**Twilight: **I'm sorry, I know this took forever! I redid my room once. Because it was bright pink until four years ago. I'd like to have Callie's room, but my parents would die. Literally. So instead, my room and bathroom are ocean themed, which is fine. Heh.

**Hero Girl of Brien: **Heh. There's no cliffhanger in this one….

**WhitejellO:** I've not decided on the car color yet. It will come to me soon.


	9. Repaying Mokuba

**Magnolia Blossoms: Nine**

Mokuba smirked to himself. It was precisely 7:34 on a Saturday morning. Rosie had called Callie to say that she could show up late, since she was taking Mokuba to breakfast, since the boy had murdered the Kaiba's kitchen the night before. Now, they were back at the house, and Mokuba was remembering around a week ago, when Callie told him she owed him. Her debt was about to be repaid.

He stood in the doorway of the Kaiba mansion, waiting for Callie's car to pull up. The sleek, midnight blue car showed up a few minutes later, and before Callie was even unbuckled, Mokuba was in the car with her. The girl pulled her glasses down on her nose (she was wearing them for once, having decided that her contacts were the root of all evil in the world, and were out to make her go blind), and raised one eyebrow at the boy. He gave her an innocent grin, his grey eyes sparkling.

"You owe me, remember?" he said, grinning manically. She sighed.

"Fine, Mokuba, where too? And is this something to keep hidden from your brother, or what?" she asked, pushing her glasses back up so she could see clearly. The young Kaiba nodded.

"Damn, Mokuba, are you trying to get me fired?" Callie asked, turning her car back on. He smiled sweetly at her.

"Just tell Seto we went to your house if he asks," he said. She sighed, and then turned to him. He gave her an odd look, and she sighed once more.

"I don't know where I'm going, Mokuba…" she reminded him.

"Oh yeah! Here, I'll give you directions."

Five wrong turns, two brake slams and ten minutes later, Mokuba finally got his directions right. Callie parked her car quickly, looking up at the green-roofed shop and noting the sign. "Now, why would your brother have such a problem with you going into a game shop, Mokuba?" she asked, eyeing him. He was up to something, that was for sure.

The black-haired boy got out of the car, making Callie get out as well. He grinned at her over the top of the car. "Well, it's not exactly the place, it's the people who run it." She raised an eyebrow once more, tangling some of her platinum hair around her fingers.

"What are they, addicts? Or are they normal people? Your brother seems adverse to both," she muttered, coming around the car to stand next to him, looking up at the shop. Mokuba rolled his eyes. Both Callie and Seto liked to make vicious little quips about the other, though Seto tended to be more vicious and vocal than Callie was. Luckily, he was relatively used to it, seeing as Seto made snide remarks about Yugi and his friends, and Joey did the same when Seto wasn't around.

"They're pretty normal…you'll see." Callie twitched slightly. That 'you'll see' sounded like Aidan's 'you'll see'. And the last time 'she'd seen' something…she'd ended up staying up all night with one very, very scared Aidan, who'd tricked her into taking him to see a horror movie. Needless to say…neither of them had slept, Aidan from fright, and Callie because he wouldn't let her sleep.

"Whatever," she muttered, and followed him inside the shop. The boy ran ahead, but she followed at a more sedate pace: it was still early in the morning, and she'd been up late. By the time she'd caught up to him, he'd attracted the attention of a group of teens that were by the countertop.

"Hey, Mokuba! You looking for some cards?" one of them, a blonde-haired, amber-eyed boy asked. Callie watched Mokuba light up in delight.

"Well, I wasn't, but are there any new ones?" he asked, looking at some of the other teens. Callie noted that these two were look-alikes, the only difference being that one was taller, and had bolts of blonde in his tri-colored hair. Then she realized that they had different eye colors, as well.

She stood quietly, watching the group. There were six of them altogether, including the three she'd already seen talking to Mokuba. There was a pretty girl, with brown hair and blue eyes, who was smiling at the teen she vaguely recognized as the pizza guy from the other night. The last teen was a boy with long, white hair, and kind brown eyes. Kind, brown eyes that happened to be looking straight at her.

"Mokuba, shouldn't you introduce your friend?" the boy asked softly, turning towards the eager Kaiba.

"Huh? Oh, yeah!" he said, detaching from the group and grabbing Callie's hand. He pulled her forward, causing her to stumble slightly.

"Whoa, there," the blonde said, reaching out to steady her.

"Guys, this is Calandra Haveles. Don't call her that, though, or she'll hurt you. Callie, this is Yami, Yugi, Ryou, Joey, Tristan, and Tea. They're my friends," Mokuba said cheerfully, pointing to each one as he said their name.

"Hi," Callie said, smiling slightly at them. Tea frowned, looking thoughtful.

"Have we met before? You look kinda familiar." Callie winced.

"Nah, I don't think so. I've not had that much time to hit the town since moving here, sadly."

Tea's eyes lit up. "Really? We'll have to take you sometime! I can show you all the good places to shop and hang out. Sound good?" she asked. Callie grinned.

"Sounds awesome to me." She was distracted by Joey's voice a second later.

"Hey, Mokuba, how'd you get Kaiba to let you come here, huh?" Callie folded her arms and looked at the younger Kaiba, who was grinning sheepishly.

"Well, Callie owed me, and I didn't tell her how much he hates you guys…" the boy offered. Callie snorted.

"Your brother hates everyone except for you," she muttered. Wry grins appeared on Yami and Ryou's faces. Joey, however, was nodding vigorously. Callie paused. "Erm…out of plain curiosity, why does Kaiba Senior hate you all?" Joey's eyes widened.

"You don't know?" he gasped. Callie raised an eyebrow.

"Should I know?" she wondered aloud. Mokuba giggled as Joey grabbed hold of the woman and Yami, forcing the two of them to sit down as he launched into the story of Kaiba's defeat, Yami correcting him here and there. Ten minutes later, Callie was rubbing her temples. Halfway through the story, Joey and Tristan (who had been listening) had gotten into a very vocal argument. But she'd gotten the gist of the story. Kaiba Senior had been beaten, had been throwing a hissy fit ever since, and was holding a grudge. It wasn't that hard to imagine. She abandoned Yami to deal with Joey and Tristan, heading over to Ryou and Tea, who were talking quietly. Mokuba was chatting eagerly with Yugi. She began to lose track of time, finding that she enjoyed hanging out with these guys.

Her cell phone's ring cut through the conversation. She rolled her eyes, figuring it was probably her aunt calling to say that she needed her to pick up some milk or something.

"Hey, talk to me," she said, still braiding a strand of Tea's hair. She froze as she heard the familiar, icy voice.

"Calandra, where the hell are you and Mokuba?"

* * *

_A/N: _Here's the ninth chapter…shorter interval between updates this time! Meh.

**Twilight: **I hope this was fast enough. I'll probably be updating more quickly now, because I've discovered that it takes my mind off of things I'd rather not think about. Yeah, gargoyles. I want some in my room, but my mom said no, because I have the tendency to wake up and see things. Yeah. Heh. I never had a canopy bed because it would have died. As it is, I killed my last bed by jumping up and down on it with a friend. It snapped. At least it was a really cool noise….

**Victoria: **Thank you very much! I'm glad you like those sparks. I really wanted to ease into the relationship, but not have it be a love/hate type of thing, more like…teasing quips and such.

**JewelValentine: **I sound like you? Don't tell my friends-they think one of me is bad enough. Yeah. Muahahaha. Thank you for the review!

**Hero Girl of Brien: **Heh…so the tradition's back for now! Thanks for the review. I'm not sure about really, really big cliffhanger…that will be in a while. Giggle.

**Setalina Muro: **Heh…it did take a while, didn't it? Attack her? Haha. That would have been funny, I admit…but he might not have liked the results. There are a few things hidden within the annoying girl named Callie….Muahaha. No…she's not a martial artist. She would probably kill herself by mistake.


	10. Oh, She's Good?

**Magnolia Blossoms: Ten**

With a quick wave of her hand, Callie signaled for silence. "Mokuba and I are running some errands, Mr. Kaiba," she said calmly, a mocking undertone threading through her words. From the low growl she heard on Kaiba's end, she could tell he'd heard it. It amused her to no end that she'd been 'caught' out of the house. Really, it wasn't as if she and Mokuba were under house arrest.

"Finish up your 'errands' and then get back to the house. I know Mokuba has homework."

"Yes, _sir_," Callie sneered. Her only response was the click of the phone and then the soft buzzing of the dial tone. She made a face, and then flipped her phone shut, debating if she was brave (and stupid) enough to have Kaiba's number blocked from her cell. Of course, he could probably hack around it, but it _would_ piss him off, something she thoroughly enjoyed doing.

"Hey, kid, we need to jet." Wide, pleading grey eyes sent their woeful gaze towards her. She winced. "Not gonna work. My ass is in acute danger of getting fried by your brother. And sorry, kid, but sometimes self-preservation is very important to me." With a sigh and a pouting lower lip, Mokuba hopped up. Callie awarded him with a small grin, and then turned and smiled at the gang.

"It was a pleasure meeting you all. And, Tea, I'll take you up on that offer of shopping and touring sometime, okay?" she said, throwing them a wink. Callie and Mokuba walked out of the door with the teens'**(1)** goodbyes ringing in their ears.

Once they were in the car, Callie turned to Mokuba, starting up the engine at the same time. "Now, Mokuba, we need to have done some 'errands'. What are some good errands that are difficult to prove happened? That way, your brother can't dig up evidence to prove that we weren't really doing these 'errands'," she mused, flicking some of her hair out of her face. After a few minutes of silence, Callie turned to look at the boy, glad that they were at a red light. He was staring at her in what looked to be amused surprise.

"What?" she asked, confused.

"You're good!" he announced, grinning. She blinked, because his statement had done nothing to help her out of her state of confusion. Seeing this, Mokuba sighed. "I said that you're good. I didn't even have to tell you that we would have to have some sort of cover-up!" She smirked.

"What, you think I've never snuck out of the house or done something that warrants a cover-up?"

"Well, the thought did occur to me…" Mokuba jumped as Callie broke out into hysterical laughter. Wide-eyed, he watched as the woman tried to compose herself, only to burst into laughter again and again. Finally, she calmed down, just as the car behind them blew their horn. Callie blinked, and looked up to discover the light was green.

"Yeah, yeah, hold onto your pants, fools," she muttered, flipping them the bird. Mokuba sniggered.

"I changed my mind just now." Callie stuck her tongue out at him.

"Listen, kid, my brother and I got into more trouble than you could ever imagine. Think of a good errand, and I'll tell you some of our best times, okay?" she asked, gunning it. Mokuba nodded, a gleeful grin spreading across his face.

* * *

Seto walked into his living room, following the sound of Callie's voice. "-Well, if you're going with the red Versace**(2)** dress, then I would grab some light, and I mean very light, red lipstick, or you'll overdo the color. Maybe even a pink, or a coral. And for eye shadow, unless you're going runway drastic, I would suggest a light brown or cream, brushed with hint of red. Anything else?" A pause. By this time, Seto was standing in the doorway, watching the lounging woman with a raised eyebrow. "Mmmm, well, I'd definitely go with Harry Winston**(3)**, they just have wonderful service and-" Callie said, turning slightly on the couch and coming to an abrupt halt as she noticed the CEO in the doorway. "I'll call you back, okay?" Seemingly without waiting for a response, she flipped her phone shut. As Seto took a step forward, she relinquished her reclining pose in favor of standing. 

"Harry Winston? Versace?" He didn't need to ask anything more than that.

"Oh, you've heard of them?" she asked sweetly, crossing her arms, and raising an eyebrow. He scowled at her, and she just smiled.

"If you prefer, I can just check your cell phone records," he threatened. Her smile stayed, but he detected a small twitch.

"One of my friends has a good bit of money. She needed some fashion advice, that's all." He arched an eyebrow.

"It sounded like you were well-acquainted with the services," he pointed out. She was hiding something, and he wanted to know what it was.

"Just a guess, Mr. Kaiba," she said curtly, pushing a loose strand of hair over her shoulder. He looked her over, trying to see if she was lying. He quickly determined that he couldn't tell, but he was quite interested in her body, which was revealed to be quite nice by her jeans and shirt. He smirked to himself, and then directed a question at her.

"Where were you and Mokuba today?" he asked, stepping towards her. Without blinking, she replied, " I took him to an art exhibition that one of my friends told me I had to attend. Today was the last day of the show."

"You're lying," he returned, stepping even closer. He watched her eyes flicker, and wondered if it was because of his proximity. She shrugged.

"If you say so. Now, if you don't mind, since you're home, I'd like to return to my house," she said, making to move around him. He was about to let her go, and then recalled something. He grabbed her by the bicep as she passed, tugging her back to face him.

"There's a charity ball next Saturday that I need to attend. Mokuba will be there too, and I want you there to watch him. I'll provide a dress. Give your sizes to one of the maids," he ordered. She smiled at him, pulling free of his grip.

"No need, I have a dress I can wear. And thank you for telling me in advance!" she said, her eyes glittering impishly. He watched her leave the room, and shook his head, walking upstairs to his study to get some work done.

* * *

A/N: This is finally up, after a long delay. In my defense, the file got deleted by mistake…heh. 

**(1) **I'm making all of the gang; Yugi, Yami, Ryou, Tea, Joey and Tristan, 19. So Seto and Callie are both older by a few years.

**(2) **A famous designer. I don't own.

**(3) **A famousdiamond designer. I don't own.

* * *

**L.D. Kaket: **Of course I had to do that. It's more fun that way. Thanks for the review!

**Tolea: **No huge secrets. And you'll find out! Thanks for the review!

**Hero Girl of Brien: **Heh. Sorry. Well, there's no cliffhanger this chapter….

**ThefutureMrs.Kaiba: **Thank you very much!

**Twilight: **I finally updated! Yes, law is hard. Both my parents are lawyers. (Lucky me.) Thanks for pointing out the mistake: I didn't even catch that. I'll go back and change that! …my mind is empty right now, so I'm just going to shut up and upload this chapter.


	11. When In Domino

**Magnolias Blossoms: Eleven**

Callie sighed to herself, rubbing her temples to try and ward off her oncoming headache. She'd been telling Kaiba the truth three days ago when she'd said she'd had a dress. Now, she didn't. She'd (stupidly) left it out in the open, and what had Devin, her visiting cousin, done? He had poured grape juice on the dress, naturally. After all, why on earth would Callie want to wear a dress without grape juice stains on it? She closed her eyes, trying to stop her train of thought. She didn't want to try to understand the mind of a five-year-old. Of course, her aunt had tried to convince her to let her pay for it, but Callie knew that she was on the verge of a divorce. So, she'd waved the offer off, and was now without a dress. Suddenly, her aching head came to a conclusion that she wished she'd thought of before.

She nearly ran over to her dresser, picking up her phone. She punched in the numbers, and waited in silence as the phone began to ring. Finally, she heard Tea's voice. "Tea, could I take you up on that shopping tour offer? I need a fancy dress. And I don't know what there is, and so I need your help!" she said calmly, her mind protesting her rational thinking. Sometimes, it would be nice just to let go and scream.

"Sure, Callie, that's fine. How about in an hour or so?" Tea asked. Callie glanced at her watch. It was 4:00 in the afternoon. She mentally reviewed her schedule. Mokuba was at a friend's house after school today, so she didn't need to go to the Kaibas' mansion.

"That's fine. I'll pick you up at 5, then. What's your address?" she questioned, scribbling the address on her hand. "Okay. See ya." She hung up, and sighed to herself. She had an hour to blow off. What was she supposed to do? With a sigh, she collapsed onto her bed, looking at her painted ceiling. It was a large mural, a picturesque scene depicting a cherubic picnic with the goddess of love Aphrodite. Not really her taste, but it was pretty enough, and it had been there originally. In her mind, it was part of the house's personality. "Ow!" she exclaimed as she rolled over, discovering the remote to her stereo. She shot upright. "Hey, I've been looking for this!" With a shrug of her shoulders, she reclined on her bed, and hit play.

* * *

"Hey, Tea, hurry up. How long does it take to get a jacket?" Callie snapped, lounging against the door of Tea's apartment. The younger girl stuck her tongue out in Callie's general direction.

"I just have to grab my cell, okay? There, let's go. We're gonna go to the 'Ever After' place that opened three months ago. It's supposed to have awesome dresses." Callie shrugged, striding out the door. Tea followed her, hopping into the passenger seat. Ten minutes later, a very disgruntled Callie was laden with dresses (and damn, they were heavy!) following Tea around as the younger girl threw more dresses on the ever-growing load.

"Tea…I need one dress. One. Not fifty!" Callie finally growled, eyeing the brunette as she grabbed what looked to be a twenty-pound dress. With a roll of her cerulean eyes, Tea urged Callie in towards the dressing room. The older girl suffered through stuck zippers, horrible fits, dresses that added weight to her hips, dresses that weighed a ton due to the fact that the dressmaker had sneezed during the creation and rhinestones had stuck to the dress, and various other things. If anything, Tea was enjoying herself far more than Callie was. Finally, Callie had had enough. With an indecipherable string of curses, she stormed out of the dressing room, looking ready to throttle Tea.

"That's it! I've had enough. We're leaving, so no more dresses! I'm gonna go get dressed," she growled, watching Tea's eyes widen. She moved to go back to the dressing room, but something stopped her. "Tea? What in heaven's name are you staring at? I wasn't being that loud," she snarled, still in a foul temper. The younger teen sent her a smirk, and pointed to the mirror next to her. With a roll of her eyes, Callie turned to look at herself.

"Huh…" she said, narrowing her eyes at her reflection. "Well, problem solved, I guess."

"Damn straight, girl. You're getting that dress, no doubt about it!" Tea said, her eyes sparkling with happiness. "You look just like a model in that!" Callie winced.

"Don't say that. Please," she muttered, turning to go back into the changing room. Tea shrugged, and went to claim the dress from Callie as the girl changed back into her street clothes.

* * *

"Honestly, Mokuba, what's taking so long?" Rosie said softly. She'd been waiting patiently outside of the young boy's door for a half hour now. It was almost time for him to go. Kaiba Senior had left already to make some arrangements at the party; Callie was supposed to be picking Mokuba up any minute now. By now, Rosie had settled against Mokuba's door. Around three seconds later, she discovered exactly why this was a mistake as a snickering Mokuba helped her up from the floor.

"C'mon, let's go!" the boy yelled, dragging the maid towards the stairs. They'd just reached the bottom when the doorbell rang: Mokuba ran to get it. "Woah," he breathed. "Callie, you look…like a girl!" Rosie couldn't help it- she started laughing.

"Thanks, brat," a disgruntled Callie muttered. "It's good to know that I look like a man most of the time. Hey, you, stop laughing," she shot at Rosie. The panting maid smiled and waved breathlessly.

"It's not you, Callie, it's Mokuba. I'm sorry, but the look on your face…" Rosie trailed off. Callie rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah."

"No, really. You do look wonderful," Rosie said, taking a longer look at the floor-length ball-gown Callie was wearing. Once more, the woman rolled her eyes.

"That doesn't mean I like it. Or that I can walk."

"Callie, we're going to be late!" Mokuba whined. With a sigh and a bow, the sitter waved a hand towards the door.

"Your chariot awaits, milord. Ah, the dress, the dress!" she yelled, seeing Mokuba ready to launch himself at her. A pout crossed the young boy's face, but he marched out the door. Rosie watched, laughing, as Callie tried to arrange her skirts in the driver's seat. Without a glance back, the other woman flipped her the bird, and revved her car.

"My, she's a bit of a wild driver…" Rosie said, wide-eyed as Callie's car shot off into the night.

* * *

Seto Kaiba was alternating between being bored, nodding to business tycoons, and worrying about whether Callie had the sense to show up on time and dress properly. Rubbing his temples slightly, he turned to the man next to him, a fashion designer who happened to be interested in his holographic projectors for runway shows. His name was Ryten** (1), **a name he'd apparently created for himself. Still, Seto wasn't going to turn away just yet: there happened to be a good amount of profit possible in this deal. He was in the middle of a conversation with the man when he suddenly sharpened his hearing.

"…Mokuba Kaiba and Callie Haveles," one of the many doormen announced. Seto clenched his teeth at the nickname. Why on earth did she think that was okay? He watched Mokuba with pride: the young boy was acting quite mature, making his way down the staircase with a bright smile. Callie was next to him, and Seto noted that her smile seemed more strained. He made his way towards them, stopping them at the bottom of the stairs.

"A bit lavish, don't you think?" he whispered to Callie, taking in her dress, which was a detailed red piece, with quite interesting and dizzying spirals of vines and flowers. It clung to her in an entirely flattering way, enhancing her waist and her chest, he noticed. Add in her curled, waist length hair and the jewelry, and it made for quite a wealthy picture. Until she ruined it by sticking out her tongue.

"Hey, you're the one who said it was supposed to be fancy." He raised an eyebrow.

"I suppose so. It'll do. At least you don't look like a total tramp," he sneered. She glared at him, but kept her calm.

"Mm, good thing, too, because then I'd be your type of woman, Mr. Kaiba," she retorted. She watched anger flare in his captivating sapphire orbs, but before he could retaliate with a scathing retort, she was just about tackled from behind. Cursing softly, she tried to escape the person's grasp, noting the irritated look on Kaiba's face.

"Calandra, darling, it's been such a long time!" a distinctly male voice announced. The hands holding her twirled her around, and she groaned as she saw who was holding her. Before Seto could say anything, she leaned into the other man, and whispered quietly into his ear.

"Calandra, you know Ryten?" Seto asked, arching an eyebrow at the girl.

"You could say that," she evaded, playing with a strand of her hair. He waited, crossing his arms. She was going to elaborate whether she liked it or not.

"We used to date, Mr. Kaiba," Ryten said, a sly smirk dancing over his face.

* * *

**A/N:** Not sure how I feel about this chapter. Be on the lookout, I may replace the ending with something new. The first part is okay, but I'm not sure about the last part. Want to give me some input?

**(1) **I made this name up. Heh.

**TheFutureMrs.Kaiba: **Thanks.

**Hero Girl of Brien: **I know, I know. You'll see why there's no cliffhangers soon enough.

**Tolea: **It's not that there's no secret, it's just that it's not a huge secret.


End file.
